Yarn Addict Anniken Allis

Yarn Addict Anniken Allis spoke with us from the UK to the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. Can you sense we’re about YARN here?

Anniken (or ‘Anni’ for short) says she must have learned from her mom, but says her mom doesn’t remember teaching her. She was born in Norway and they moved to England when she was about 20, currently she lives in Cornwall. Her mom was always knitting as both of her grandmothers, so it seems it was in her blood. As a teenager, she says she didn’t like to follow patterns ~ not really consider that designing but doing her own thing.

She says she took a break because trying to understand patterns and abbreviations was harder. When her kids were little, the internet helped her with understanding new things, and she subscribed to various knitting forums. Her first pattern was published in 2007 by a internet magazine and since she’s been published in various knitting magazines internationally. She began knitting and designing socks, even an online sock club, called Sockmania. She had to put that aside as her published patterns in magazines began to take off. (If you look at her designs listed in Ravelry, you’ll see a lot of her early designs were socks!) She does still design garments, but she says her love is lace shawls….

Anni loved the thought of writing book, but felt she was really too busy to put together a book proposal. In 2013, Stackpole books approached her, they liked the patterns of hers that had been published in American magazines and the designs listed in Ravelry. So, she whipped the proposal that she’d put off and they gave her a lot of freedom as far as what she wanted to do, the yarns had to be chosen by what’s available in the US where the book was published. She says some of the yarns she’d never used before, so that was a treat.

Some of the conversion of terms are confusing, like yarn weights, needle sizes…. she is reliant, as most of us are, on the internet for information to understanding and reminders. It’s the combination of fibers that make things interesting (she shared she is using cashmere and possum blend from New Zealand) and seeing how things drape and keep their shape. Choosing yarns for the book was doing a lot of investigation online.

Using BEADS, (she admits preferring adding them as knitted with a crochet hook) and keeping in mind the weight of the bead, the weight of the yarn…. Anni says in the book she’s become attached to seed beads and Miracle beads, which are lightweight. (I looked those up, it’s a bead that has been created to glow, check it out, this is an online store in Washington State that seems to have a wide variety, I don’t know where Anni orders hers from Cornwall.) She includes written patterns and charts, because she prefers both. The book is available (Amazon link) in paperback and kindle which makes enlarging things helpful, Marly reports that for her the patterns seem easy to read.

Anni still does clubs for knitters to participate, here is the link for Easy Lacy Club and Beads and Lace Club. She includes a yarn that makes up nicely, beads included in the Beads club, tools like the crochet hook for adding the beads, other helpful ‘little somethings’ and includes shipping. (Friday is the deadline for the Easy Lace Club…) She says the Beads club is for a knitter a little more experienced but not VERY difficult. Wouldn’t getting a package from Cornwall be fun? Anni is also putting together a knitting retreat, here is the link for those interested in attending in October.

As with all of us, she enjoys the variety of things that keep her busy. We love that she creates a variety of shapes and designs for us to enjoy!

If you missed getting to listen LIVE, you can still find this as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2015/07/07/yarn-addict-anniken-allis or in iTunes.http://www.marlybird.com/yarn-addict-anniken-allis/

What a lovely interview! Thank you for another wonderful podcast. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights and I believe Norway would be a delightful place to go for this. Naturally, I would knit a beautiful shawl to keep me warm. Thanks for the chance to win!

My sister’s been to Norway, but I never get to go anywhere…pout…pout…..pout…. Ok, not exactly, I get to go places, just not to Norway, yet…. I really enjoyed the interview and am excited about Anniken’s beaded lace. Her designs are particularly eye catching

Norway and knitting…..what more could a person want in life! Fantastic interview as always – I really enjoyed it. Thanks Marly – especially since I realize when the kids are home – life does get more hectic.

I was lucky to have been able to visit Norway last year. Oslo is a fabulous city, and the trip to see the fjords offered some of the most incredible scenery I’ve yet to see! I’d love to win the new book by Anniken. How nice it would be, after my obsession with knitting Nordic mittens, to knit some beaded lace!

Thanks again for introducing your listeners to another great designer in the fiber community! Anni’s designs are just beautiful and even though I cannot attend the Cornwall retreat this year, winning one of the Yarn Clubs would be amazing! Thank you, Anni from Norway to the U.S. for your generosity and sharing your love of lace and socks!
Mariaeb on Rav

Norway is one of the only places I would consider going on a cruise at. My husbands grandmother’s family was from Norway and she spoke Norweigian.
It was always Ya, Ya. I also love beaded knitting. Just finished a beaded shawl, and I use the crochet hook too.

Thank you for introducing me to another designer who specializes in lace. It is my favorite thing to knit. I would knit it here, I would knit it there. I would knit it at the Bay. I would knit it in Norway!

Another great interview. Anniken’s learning to knit in Norway in her youth sounds like a great start to a knitting life! I enjoy adding beads to knitting and look forward to reading Beaded Lace Knitting.

I loved the podcast! I’m excited to check out Anni’s new book. And of course, I’d love to see Norway some day. Thanks to Anni and to Marly and Tammy for their wonderful contributions to the knitting and crocheting world. We appreciate you!

NORWAY – I bought Anni’s book and I LOVE IT!!!! I’ve made 1 other of her shawl designs and am currently on my 2nds one (patterns I found of hers on Ravelry) and I gotta say….I’m ga-ga over Anni’s designs! I follow her on Twitter where I often visit with her online. She is both charming and extremely knowlegable and I really appreciate her talents! I HIGHLY recommend her book AND her other atterns found in other Knitting trade magazines and on Ravelry!!!

Hello! What a lovely interview. I now, after listening to you ladies, need to go to Norway! I hope I get to visit there, it sounds wonderful. I would really enjoy being a member of your sock club, it sounds fantastic.

The designs are so pretty, and your new book is on my Amazon wish list. I was listening while biking and something you said made the idea of adding beads sound doable. I was excited to get home and see the book online and designs on Ravelry. I’d love to visit Norway some day.

I really enjoyed discovering Anniken Allis and her wonderful work. In addition to yarn I am also fascinated by different places and cultures and both Cornwall and Norway are on the top of my travel bucket list. Hopefully one day I will get to see both. Anniken’s yarn retreat sounds delightful.

What an intriguing podcast today. I’m a huge traveler and the idea of going to Cornwall for a retreat sounds amazing. Although going to Norway sounds like it would be breathtaking. Keep up the amazing podcasts!!

Thanks for another great show. I really enjoyed listening to Annie speak. I was so excited to hear about her clubs and will be checking them out. I have never been to Norway but it seems like it would be a great place to travel to. Thanks for always introducing me to new people and yarn related things!!